As well as beefing up its navy, the Middle East nation is reportedly preparing craft that can be used in suicide attacks. However, the commander of U.S. naval forces says Iran can be prevented from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital route that is used to transport one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

In recent weeks, Iran has threatened to block the Strait and disrupt shipping in the Gulf, and even launch attacks on U.S. forces in the region should sanctions shut down its oil trade. Iran’s renewed focus on bulking up its navy would suggest it’s preparing for a possible confrontation. U.S. Vice Admiral Mark Fox told Reuters:

“They have increased the number of submarines … they increased the number of fast attack craft. Some of the small boats have been outfitted with a large warhead that could be used as a suicide explosive device. The Iranians have a large mine inventory. We have watched with interest their development of long range rockets and short, medium and long range ballistic missiles and of course … the development of their nuclear program.”

Smaller enemy craft have caused problems for the U.S. Navy in the past. In 1996, al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacked the destroyer U.S.S. Cole and killed 17 sailors on board. While the U.S. Navy is undoubtedly more powerful and more well-equipped than its Iranian equivalent, the prospect of facing small, fast vessels remains a concern to the U.S. However, Fox insists the navy is prepared for an attack at any time:

“We are very vigilant, we have built a wide range of options to give the president and we are ready… What if it happened tonight? We are ready today.”

The European Union enforced an embargo on Iranian oil last month. That begins on July 1, by which time Iran’s response may well be easier to predict.

Iran Preparing Suicide Bomb Boats, Claims U.S. Navy is a post from: The Inquisitr

The pressure on Iran is intensifying.  This week President Obama signed legislation tightening the sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.  In addition, the European Union announced that by summer they will also be implementing a ban on oil from the Islamic Republic. The question everyone is asking though is are these measures enough to stop Israel from attacking Iran?

Iran has been enriching uranium for many years now.  They claim their uranium enrichment program is for power generation and medical research.  The Israelis, Americans and Europeans believe that Iran is enriching uranium to build nuclear bombs. Israel has repeatedly said all options including military ones are on the table to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

United State Secretary of Defense says that if the situation stays as it is right now, Israel could attack Iran as early as April.

The Iranians have a genocidal hatred of Israel and their leaders often refer to the Jewish State as a cancer that needs to be erased.  They have threatened to destroy Israel many times and “wipe them off  the map.  Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad has said on many occasions that just one nuclear bomb would be enough o destroy Israel.

Today the Iranian Parliament said the country may withhold oil shipments to European Countries for their support of sanctions.  If they do the world may see a large increase in oil prices without giving other oil producing nations enough time to make up for the shortfall.  Iran has also threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.  More than 1/6th of the world’s oil passes through the strategic straits. Th US has said they will consider the closing of the straits an act of war.

Do you think the new sanctions and threats will deter Israel from attacking Iran?

New Iranian Sanctions, Will They Stop Israel? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Iran has announced a ban on dolls from The Simpsons franchise, claiming the legendary cartoon series has a morally corrupting influence on Iranian youth. Dolls of Homer, Marge, Bart and other characters from the show join the likes of Barbie, who was banned in the Islamic Republic last month.

Mohammad Hossein Farjoo is the man who leads the agency behind the ban. Farjoo, whose full title is ‘Secretary for Policy Making at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran,’ told the Sharq newspaper:

“The Simpsons dolls are merchandise from an animated series, of which some episodes are even banned in Europe and America. We do not want to promote this cartoon by importing the toys.”

I’m not personally aware of any Simpsons episodes banned in the U.S. or Europe, and Farjoo didn’t expand on this. Regardless, America’s yellowest family won’t be seen on Tehran store shelves in the near future. Merchants in Tehran have confirmed that Simpsons merchandise is getting harder to obtain from wholesalers. Stores in the city, reveal the vendors, now rarely display such toys.

Barbie was banned last month because of what Iranian officials deemed to be her provocative body shape (which is actually anatomically freakish). Farjoo cheerfully pronounced at the time:

“Imports of all kinds of dolls that display full adult figures are banned because they promote Western culture.”

That said, superheroes such as Superman and Spiderman are a-okay in Iran, because they fight for the oppressed – much like the Iranian government. Or maybe not …

Iran Bans ‘Simpsons’ Dolls is a post from: The Inquisitr

Thousand of Iranian women are taking their fight against the infidels to a new level.  Thousands of them are training to become Ninjas, the ancient Japanese stealth assassins who use swords, martial arts and throwing stars to neutralize their enemies.

The Atlantic is reporting that more than 3500 Iranian women are donning the ninja outfit and taking part in the intensive training. The program is being hailed as a massive attempt at women’s equality.

The Huffigton Post is reporting,

“The Iranian regime’s 33-year quest to make Iranian women weak and helpless, to force them into child-like subservience, has failed. Though we in the West often perceive them this way because the hijab and the chador are all we see on the surface, women in Iran are stronger collectively and more assertive individually than the Islamic Republic would have us believe.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran is in the news a lot these days with their quest to develop nuclear weapons.  The media is always contemplating the idea of sanctions, military intervention and international war with Iran, but what is lost is the female perspective of the Shiite nation.

Women in Iran have a 42% unemployment rate, are required to dress modestly by law and are subject to beating and even stonings for adultery. Their fight takes a back seat to what is going on in Iran.During the Green protests for democracy last year in Iran, women were even killed for going out to protest the regime.

Would you be afraid of the Iranian Ninja threat?

Watch a training video of the female Iranian ninjas in action.

3000 Iranian Women Going Through Ninja Training [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Homer Simpson is no longer the funniest man Iran after the countries officials booted him on Monday in an attempt to fend off Western culture. The move comes just several weeks after authorities also revealed that Barbie dolls are no longer allowed to be sold in the Islamic country.

While the country’s officials have not clearly stated by the dolls have been banned one official at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults revealed:

“We do not want to promote this cartoon by importing the toys.”

It’s likely that officials were fed up with Homer’s reliance on god and alcohol with such lines spewing out of his mouth as:

 ”Homer no function beer well without” and “I felt a surge of power…like God must feel when he’s holding a gun.”

Oddly enough Homer Simpson works at and promotes nuclear energy, something Iran has said they are proud of recently. Perhaps banning a nuclear power plant worker who isn’t making nuclear weapons isn’t the best idea Iran officials have had.

Western cultural influences began to creep into the country after the 1979 Islamic revolution and the country has been redefining their toy ban rules over the last month as tensions between the U.S. and Iran have led to President Obama issuing complete bank sanctions against the Iranian Central Bank on Monday.

Toys in Iran must following these rules:

• No distinguishable genitals
• No adult toys
• No toys that belt out tunes in the voices of Western singers
• No kitchen sets with glasses for drinking booze.

Spider-Man and Superman are allowed to remain in the country however because as an official revealed:

“They help oppressed people and they have a positive stance.”

Do you think Iran officials are going to far in oppressing their own people?

Iran Bans Homer Simpson Doll Because Of American Influence is a post from: The Inquisitr

Following through on his earlier promises President Barack Obama on Monday placed harsh sanctions on the Iranian banking system. Under the sanctions all Iran government and central bank assets held in the U.S. and foreign branches of a U.S. entity have been frozen.

Skirting away from the issue of nuclear weapons the President said action needed to be taken because of “deceptive practices” discovered at the Iranian Central Bank, practices Obama says pose an “unacceptable risk” to the international financial system.

The President had already froze assets belonging directly to Iranian entities or individuals however the new President’s new executive order blacks all property and interests in property belonging to the Iranian government, its central bank, and all Iranian financial institutions.

According to Section 1. (a) of the order

All property and interests in property of the Government of Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

The sanction also states under part (b):

All property and interests in property of any Iranian financial institution, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

You can find the full Iran Banking Sanction: HERE

The new sanctions were mandated by Congress and signed by the President on Dec. 31.

In his Congressional notification President Obama stated:

“I have determined that additional sanctions are warranted, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned parties, the deficiencies in Iran’s anti-money laundering regime and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by Iran’s activities.”

Do you think far reaching sanctions against the Iran banking system were necessary?

Obama Follows Through On Promise, Imposes Sanctions On Iran Banking System is a post from: The Inquisitr

Oil prices rose during January, with increases fueled by the stand-off between Iran and the west.

Both sides have exchanged heated rhetoric in the last few weeks. The European Union has placed an embargo on all Iranian oil imports, while Iran has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for Gulf oil exports.

One Kuwaiti oil executive has now predicted the cost of oil could soar to $160 a barrel if the tension continues, or if conflict results from the threats. The U.S. has already stated it would take military action if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation board member Ali al-Hajeri told Al-Seyassah Daily:

“If the embargo on Iranian oil persists, or in case of a military move over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices are expected to soar to around $150 to $160.”

The current price rose in January to between $100-105, a level al-Hajeri calls “fair and acceptable.” The market remains nervous, however, and while a cold snap in Europe and the weak European economy could keep prices down, this could be offset by western and Iranian threats. There’s also a chance that European stocks of coal and gas could be depleted by the unusually cold weather this year, pushing oil prices up.

John Heffernan, power trader at Bord Gáis Energy remarked:

“The upwards pressure on oil prices in January was largely driven by market uncertainty regarding the implications of EU sanctions on Iran and the very tentative improvement in sentiment surrounding several major economies.”

The Bord Gáis Energy Index has increased 8 per cent over the past year, with oil pushing the figure up dramatically.

Oil Prices Rise as Tensions Grow Between Iran and the West is a post from: The Inquisitr

Iran stepped up its threats regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday when the countries Revolutionary Guards began holding war games near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic Gulf oil tanker route that runs past the country.

Plans for the war games have been developing for weeks and come after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should the U.S. or Israel attack Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

News of the war games also arrive at a time when Western forces have increased their presences in the Gulf, including the addition of American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

While Iran has promised to disrupt shipping to the strait where one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes through the U.S. and its allies have promised to swiftly end the blockage should it occur and take action as necessary.

In a speech that broadcast throughout Iran on Friday Khamenei continued his hard line approach by promising to aid hard line national groups that challenge Israel while noting that military strikes would damage U.S. interests in the Middle East “10 times” more than they would hurt Iran. According to the Ayatollah:

 ”Iran will not withdraw. Then what happens?” asked Khamenei. “In conclusion, the West’s hegemony and threats will be discredited” in the Middle East. “The hegemony of Iran will be promoted. In fact, this will be in our service.”

Some experts believe that Khamenei’s threats include giving more power to proxy forces including Lebanon’s Islamic militant group Hezbollah which would in turn intensify attacks against Israel. The small nation has backed U.S. and European Union forces in asking for tougher sanctions against Iran and the countries oil exports which constitute 80% of Iran’s gross national product.

In the meantime U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta continued the U.S. stance that sanctions taken against Iran is still the best approach while adding that  ”all options on the table and would be prepared to respond if we have to.”

Do you think Iran would dare start a war against the U.S. , European Union, Israel and other allies who can cut off 80% of the countries revenue with swift and far reaching sanctions?

Iran Naval Forces Attempt To Flex Muscles, Stage More War Games Near Strait Of Hormuz is a post from: The Inquisitr

Iran has carried out an unintentionally hilarious celebration to mark one of its most important historical events.

First though, a bit of background. On this day 33 years ago, Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini made an historic return to Iran, having spent 15 years in exile. The immensely popular Ayatollah had been forced to leave the country by the Shah, who was then backed by the U.S. However, 1977 saw the Iranian Revolution kick off, causing the Shah to flee. The revolution paved the way for the Ayatollah Khomeini’s triumphant return on February 1, 1979. He was met at Tehran Airport by literally millions of delirious Iranians, and by the end of 1979 was his country’s new Supreme Leader.

To this day the Ayatollah remains widely loved in Iran, and the anniversary of his return is commemorated each year with events across the country.

As he passed away in 1989, personal appearances are sadly out of the question, but the Iranian authorities had a solution this year: three giant cardboard cutouts of the Ayatollah, each carried down the steps of a plane and then marched around the airport. On their short tour, the cardboard constructions ‘inspected’ lines of troops as soldiers saluted and looked dutifully serious.

The bizarre and endearingly lo-fi ceremony ended with one of the cardboard Ayatollahs being paraded around the airport in an open-top army truck, as a marching band tooted its approval in the background. Wacky stuff indeed. Here are some more photos:

[Images via Mehr News Agency]

Cardboard Ayatollah Used to Celebrate Historical Anniversary in Iran [WTF] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Iran’s state oil company announced on Sunday the potential ban of oil sales to the European Union, a move they say will push the cost of oil to $120 to $150 per barrel. News of the potential export ban comes just ahead of a European Union proposal that would place embargo’s on the country’s supply line.

As part of the countries plan Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Ahmad Qalehbani said the region will work on refining more of it’s own crude domestically instead of selling it to international partners. Iran is currently the second largest oil producer in the world (3.5 million barrels daily) however they purchase refined oil for energy use from countries where they had previously sold the product.

Last weak the EU announced an embargo against Tehran over the countries controversial nuclear program which many countries believe is being used for the sole purpose of creating nuclear weapons, a claim the Iranian government has repeatedly refuted.

While the EU Embargo is not set to take effect until the summer months in a bit of saber rattling the Iran government has said they may cut off supplies early.

According to Iranian officials just 18 percent of the countries output is provided to the EU and the country believes they can easily find replacement customers while punishing the European Unions economy. The ability to find those new customers however may not be “easy” as predicted as the United States has promised to place embargo’s against any country that does business with Iran in the coming months.

Speaking to the IRNA Qalehbani noted:

“It seems we will witness prices from $120 to $150 in the future.”

Speaking about his countries plans to sell their product elsewhere he adds:

“The sale of some 18 percent of Iranian oil, to a market other than the EU, is quite possible. But our long term idea is to increase refining capacities to produce valuable products.”

While Iran’s officials have downplayed the effect of an export ban on their own country the fact is they receive nearly 80% of their countries revenue from the sale of crude oil.

Iran Threatens $150 Per Barrel Oil, Plans EU Export Ban is a post from: The Inquisitr

The war of words surrounding Iranian sanctions reached a new plateau today as Senior Iranian lawmakers threatened passive military action should oil tanker traffic be disrupted in any way by new sanctions.

Though considered unprecedented, the European Union’s sanctions unveiled today honor contracts with Iran through July, but new contracts will be embargoed immediately. The EU is also threatening to freeze Iran’s central bank assets. With EU as Iran’s biggest customer behind China, these sanctions cut deep.

In retaliation, Iranian politicians threatened to deploy Islamic warships in order to block Persian Gulf oil tanker traffic after the Western leaders served up their latest restriction in order to discourage Tehran’s nuclear program. The European Union’s punitive oil embargo raises the stakes economically for Iran’s defiance. A member of Iran’s influential national security committee in parliament said today that the Strait of Hormuz “would definitely be closed if the sale of Iranian oil is violated in any way.”

Another senior official said that Iran does have the right to block Hormuz as a form of retaliation for oil sanctions – and furthermore, that closing the Strait was highly probable. “In case of threat, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is one of Iran’s rights,” he said.

These new sanctions are only part of a larger problem in Iran. The country is feeling pressure from nearly every angle: U.S. lobbying Asian powers to keep their distance from Iranian oil, a national currency circling the drain, and a recent slaying in what Iran calls a campaign against its nuclear ambitions.

“The pressure of sanctions is designed to try and make sure that Iran takes seriously our request to come to the table,” says EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton, who has put out a call for talks to restore “international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”

So what do you think? Does Iran have a right to react thus to increasingly restrictive embargoes, or are they reacting unreasonably?

Iran Threatens Military Action in Face of New EU Sanctions is a post from: The Inquisitr

It truly is an awesome sight when two United States Navy aircraft super carriers are in the ocean side by side.  Representing enough firepower to fight an independent conflict on their own they are often the first line of defense against foreign enemies.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS John C. Stennis, two of the ten nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft supercarriers that the Navy has at sea have arrived in the Persian Gulf as tensions with Iran continue to rise.

The Lincoln is in the Gulf to replace the USS John C. Stennis to deploy in the waters with the USS Carl Vinson.  The Iranians have always known that America keeps a significant amount of firepower right off their shores but seeing three United States Super Carriers is enough to make anyone nervous.

The Lincoln and the Vinson are the centerpieces of two United States Navy Carrier Strike Groups stationed in the Persian Gulf.  The Strike groups contain (according to Wikipedia),

• A supercarrier, which is the centerpiece of the strike group and also serves as the flagship for the CSG Commander and his/her staff. The carrier is commanded by aviation community captain.
• A carrier air wing typically consisting of up to nine squadrons. Carrier air wings are commanded by an aviation community captain (or occasionally a Marinecolonel).
• One to two Aegisguided missile cruisers, of the Ticonderoga class—a multi-mission surface combatant, equipped with BGM-109 Tomahawkmissiles for long-range strike capability, each commanded by a surface community captain.
• A destroyer squadron (DESRON) commanded by a surface community captain who commands the escort destroyers, with two to three guided missile destroyers, of the Arleigh Burke class—a multi-mission surface combatant, used primarily for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare, but which also carries Tomahawk missiles for long-range strike capability. A destroyer is commanded by a surface community commander.
• Up to two attack submarines, usually of the Los Angeles-class used to screen the strike group against hostile surface ships and submarines, but which also carry Tomahawk missiles for long-range strike capability.
• A combined ammunition, oiler and supply ship

This is all in response to the Iranians pledge to close the strategic Straits of Hormuz, through which a full 1/5 of the world’s oil supply transverses in retaliation for US and European sanctions against their central bank.

Do you think this United States show of force is enough to scare Iran?

Two Super Carriers Arrive In Persian Gulf [Photos] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Texas medical student and well know Iranian Activist, Gelareh Bagherzadeh, was killed outside of her apartment complex today.  There is no motive in the attack, no purse or cellphone was stolen, all that is known is she was shot through the window of her car and that is where she died.

The Houston Police Department commented in a statement,

“When officers arrived, they found a vehicle had run into a garage door at that location with the engine running and tires spinning on the pavement. Ms. Bagherzadeh was found slumped over in the driver’s seat. Homicide investigators responded to the scene and were told by witnesses that several gunshots were heard, a crash and then tires squealing.”

Bagherzadeh was a known champion of women’s rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  During the green revolution she was known to protest against the Iranian regime.  She believed that Iran could change for the better.

Police do not believe her activism lead to her death but they are the first to admit that her death is very mysterious.  An ex-boyfriend of Bagherzadeh, was on the phone with her when she was shot.  He said he didn’t hear any gunshots just a thud and the sound of tires squealing.

There seems to be another odd turn of events when it comes to this case.  Bagherzadeh’s car was parked going the wrong way down a dead end street.  There is no conceivable reason why she would have been there in the first place.

One of her neighbors had surveillance cameras pointing in the general direction where the shooting happened.  Police have collected them to search for clues.

Do you think Gelareh Bagherzade was assassinated because of her anti Iranian activism?

Iranian Student Activist Killed in Texas is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Iranian Lawmaker is claiming to have a letter where President Barack Obama is offering to engage in direct talks with the Iranian’s over their nuclear program.  The letter was sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Kamenei.  The White House is refusing to comment on the letter’s authenticity.

Lawmaker Ali Motahari revealed the content of the letter today after the Obama administration said that it was publicly and privately warning Iran over closing the Straits of Hormuz.

“In the letter, Obama called for direct talks with Iran. The letter also said that closing the Strait of Hormuz is (Washington’s) red line. The first part of the letter contains threats and the second part contains an offer for dialogue.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the biggest military force in the country, said that the official policy of the Iranian government was to block the strategic waterway, through which a full 1/6 of the world’s oil travels, in the event of an American blockade of Iranian oil.

The Obama Administration has told the Iranians on more than one occasion that the closing of the strait would be considered an act of war.

The United States enacted crippling sanctions on Iran over its nuclear enrichment program.  Iran claims it is enriching Uranium in order to generate electricity.  The United States and Israel contend that the Iranian Nuclear program is for building nuclear bombs.

Israel may be preparing to strike targets in Iran to prevent them from developing a nuclear weapon, as they consider such a device to be an existential threat.

Do you think the Obama Administration should be engaging Iran at this time?

Obama Proposed Direct Talks With Iran is a post from: The Inquisitr

With the United States placing sanction in Iran on everything from the countries central banking system to the export of oil from the country officials in Iran have decided to fight back by attacking a symbol of American commerce, Mattel’s Barbie Doll collection.

In 1996 officials in the country placed a ban on Barbie dolls and now with the country at odds with the United States the country’s morality police have been enforcing the ban because of the doll’s  ”destructive cultural and social consequences.”

According to Reuters Barbie dolls remained stocked on Tehran shops after the ban was enacted but over the last three weeks have been removed. According to one store owner the “morality police came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies.”

In an attempt to continue selling the American dolls some shop owners have simply tucked them behind other toys rather then removing them as demand continues to rise with a ban being carefully monitored.

In 2002 the Iranian government approved two dolls named “Sara” and “Dara” but they have failed to catch on. According to one Iranian mother her daughter doesn’t like the government dollars because they are ” ugly and fat.”

In the meantime Iran’s government is attempting to sell more violent toys like a replica of the mini RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone (pictured above with Barbie), a U.S. spy plane that went down in Iran last month. The drone will come in at a cost of $4.

Barbie has been receiving a lot of press this week, you may recall that a Facebook page was setup to support Mattel’s creation of a bald Barbie for girls who may have lost their hair to cancer or other illnesses.

Do you think the Iranian band on Barbie Dolls is a bit silly given the real problems the country is currently facing?

Iran Bans “American Symbol” By Cracking Down On Barbie Doll Sales is a post from: The Inquisitr

The United States military has a new weapon against Iran.  Bring in the dolphins!

It may seem like a typo, but it is not.  Iran has threatened that in the event of either the implementation of certain sanctions against their oil sales or an Israeli attack that they would shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.  More than 1/5 of the world’s oil supply travels through the strategic strait.

This would most likely be done with a series of mines placed throughout the Strait to prevent US warships and oil tankers passing through.

So like I said before…Bring In The Dolphins.

The Navy has successfully used trained dolphins to sweep for mines and other objects underneath the water.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2010,

“Dolphins — which possess sonar so keen they can discern a quarter from a dime when blindfolded and spot a 3-inch metal sphere from 370 feet away — are invaluable mine sweepers,”

In addition to being able to hunt for mines they are able to place acoustic transponders nearby so that human divers can locate and destroy them.

The United States Navy reportedly has more than 80 trained bottle nosed dolphins ready to go in the event that they are needed to protect the forces of freedom from the Iranian threat.

The dolphins are trained in their tactics by the Navy’s Marine Mammal fleet members. The Marine Mammal fleet members train the dolphins in three areas, swimmer detection, mine location and object recoveries.

How impressed are you with the US Military’s Dolphin teams?

The Latest Weapon In The War Against Iran…Dolphins is a post from: The Inquisitr

With tensions rising in the Persian Gulf the United States has begun to shift its military might into the region. Tensions between Iran and the United States have steadily risen as the US continues to pressure Iran into giving up their uranium enrichment program through the placement of strategic sanctions on the region.

Since pulling out of Iraq US military forces have raised troop numbers to nearly 15,000 in Kuwait and two aircraft carriers and their strike groups are now in the region.

As part of the shift the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Brigade, which shifted from Iraq to Kuwait has been designated a “mobile response force” for the region.

While the military’s movement comes just after Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz the call for more troops was actually requested last year by Central Command chief James Mattis,

In responding to requests for more information Pentagon officials say the troop increases in the region is not in preparation of war but rather an attempt to prepare for quick deployment of troops should Iran attempt to disrupt oil supply shipments throughout the strategic strait.

The troop increase comes only a short time after Iran Gen. Ataollah Salehi, head of Iran’s army, warned the John C. Stennis not to return to the Persian Gulf after the US aircraft carrier passed through the strait in early January. When that ship returns to the United States in the near future it will be replaced by the Enterprise.

On Thursday the Obama administration imposed sanctions on three companies that sell gasoline to Iran. While the country is the third-largest oil exporter in the world it doesn’t have oil refining capabilities and must therefore purchase gasoline from other countries.

US Military Increases Troop Presence In Persian Gulf After Iran Threatens Actions is a post from: The Inquisitr

Iran’s leaders constantly talk about the big bad United States and the oppression they feel at the hands of our leadership, yet for the second time in the row in less than a week it was US officials who rescued stranded Iranaian mariners from foreign waters.

Last week the U.S. Navy rescued 13 Iranian fisherman who had been held hostage by pirates for one month and this time it was the US Coast Guard who rescued six Iranian mariners who’s vessel broke down in the Gulf.

The mariners had been stuck at sea for long enough that the six men suffered burns and were receiving treatment.

According to reports the six Iranians were approximately 50 miles south-east of the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr when their engine room began flooding and the ship drew ever closer to sinking.

The men used flares and other objects to signal for help and received it in the form of the US Coast Guard.

In the meantime the Pentagon has said the men will be repatriated once they figure out the best course of action.

Speaking on behalf of the recently rescued crews an official in Washington said the US military continually rescues those in need and will continue to do so for Iranian mariners even as conditions between Iran and the US continue to escalate as Iran moves forward with their plans to enrich Uranium for what they say are peaceful means.

While Tehran did call last weeks rescue a “humanitarian gesture” they had also warned the U.S. to stay out of the region after leaving for Afghanistan.

As expected the U.S. government has refused to leave the Gulf where Iran says they will attempt to shut down the Strait of Hormuz should further sanctions be placed against the country, specifically when it comes to its oil fields where nearly 80% of the countries money is earned.

Big Bad United States Rescues Iranian Mariners For Second Time In A Week is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today humanity moved one minute closer to disaster.  The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the announcement that they are setting the doomsday clock ahead one minute to five minutes to midnight.

The Doomsday Clock has been the symbol of apocalypse since 1947.

In making the decision on where the minute hand stands, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists weighs the worldwide impact of nuclear weapons, climate change and biosecurity, along with other issues that could determine whether the world as we know it shall survive.  The closest the clock has been to midnight has been 11:57 p.m., it was put there in 1984 when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a bitter disputed and the world could have spiraled to war at any minute. In 1991 the Doomsday Clock was at 17 minutes to midnight due to the end of the Cold War and the agreements between East and West to cut nuclear arsenals.

Since then the clock has been creeping back to midnight over fears concerning nuclear terrorism and climate change.  Since the end of the Cold War America has engaged in multiple over seas conflicts and has engaged in a  Global War on Terror prompted by the events of September 11, 2001.

The announcement of the new time took into account factors ranging from Iran’s nuclear program, concerns over the  Fukushima nuclear plant disaster and the lack on any concrete plan to fight climate change.

There was speculation that the clock may have stayed where it was at 6 minutes to midnight with the end of the Iraq war, but it seems as if that was just wishful thinking.

In the world coming to an end?

Doomsday Clock Updated, The World is Just 5 Minutes From Midnight is a post from: The Inquisitr

Many of America’s leading political pundits have said that the Presidential election of 2012 may well be the most important election in American history. No matter who wins, the election will set a course for the future of the American Ship of State for years to come. The decisions made by the winner in 2012 will have a dramatic impact on every aspect of our lives and the lives of many future generations of our offspring. Beyond the borders of the United States, the President will be able to support or abandon long term allies and even change the political balance in entire regions of the planet.

With so much at stake and with a sitting President who has a vast amount of potential political baggage, one must wonder what exactly the Republican Party is trying to accomplish with their abysmal display during the Republican Candidates Debates. Not only has the thinking of the candidates been almost unfathomable but the endless circus that has gone on in the Republican party since the Presidential election cycle began has been simply ugly and bizarre.

President Obama, in the opinion of his opponents and even some of his strongest former supporters, has presided over some very questionable policies. Obama and his party forced a highly unpopular omnibus health care bill down the throats of American’s despite the significant majority of citizens that opposed Obama-care. He has not lived up to his promises of openness and honesty that were such a high point of his campaign.

Obama is also the sitting President during a near depression and he has done little but spout his rigid ideology while America is faced with a crippling 15 trillion dollar deficit and millions out of work. All from a president who said in 2006, “The fact that we’re here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means ‘The buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.” Another shining example of political doublespeak at its best.

Making matters even worse is Obama’s aimless and misguided foreign policy. From his first week in office, when he offended our British allies by returning the Churchill Bust on loan to the American People, Obama has upset and abandoned our staunchest supporters around the world. He is almost universally disliked, if not despised, by most citizens of America’s strongest ally, Israel. Many Israelis fear Obama’s re-election would mean a “Yes Vote” for Palestinian statehood by the United States in the U.N. Security Council. Israelis are very concerned that when Obama is not longer worried about alienating Jewish voters and financial backers, he will throw Israel under the proverbial bus.

Around the world, Obama remained silent when the people of Iran were ready to rise yet he spoke loudly to help topple America’s strongest Muslim ally in Egypt. The lack of support for a partner of 30 years followed by the total abandonment of Mubarak has been a disaster for secular Egyptians and non Muslims. The Muslim Brotherhood is about to take political control of Egypt and they are chomping at the bit to impose Sharia and abandon the peace treaty with Israel. Coptic Christians are being burned out of their homes and butchered by Muslims in Egypt and hardly a peep has been heard out of the White House. More than 70% of Egyptians want their military to “punish” Israel yet Obama insists on claiming Egypt experienced a Democratic “Arab Spring.” Now the “Arab Winter” is at hand and Iran is making threats to cut off the flow of 30% of the world’s oil supply.

Everywhere Obama has turned his attention in the Middle East, governments are falling and Muslim theocracies are poised to take their place. Many of Obama’s opponents in America feel his support for the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi was a violation of the War Powers Act and since Gaddafi’s death, Libya’s vast store of high tech weapons is starting to pop up in the hands of Muslim Terror groups. To make a bleak picture even worse, Libya’s “liberators” have announced their intention to introduce a Constitution based on Sharia while allowing former al-Qaeda members to assume positions of power in the new government.

Compounding all the other foreign policy blunders, is Obama’s mishandling of the Iraq withdrawal and his constant interference with military tactics in Afghanistan. His Rules of Engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq were far better for getting American Soldiers killed than they were for killing the bad guys.  Surviving American soldiers and the families of soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq are rightfully wondering why their sacrifices were made if Obama intends to abandon Iraq to chaos or allow the Taliban to participate in a post American Afghanistan.  All of our enemies and even some of our allies are convinced that America is a useless paper tiger under Obama’s leadership.

Rounding out the Obama record, we have the on going dispute over potential criminal involvement in Fast and Furious by A.G. Holder and the various business scandals including Solyndra and Light Squared. We also have the Black Panther Voter Intimidation case, the bypassing of Congress to give selective Amnesty to Illegal Aliens and the Democratic Party’s support for the Occupy Movement. Listening to Obama and his allies, Reid and Pelosi, compare the OWS movement to the pro American Tea Party has simply stuck in the craw of the vast majority of American conservatives.

Obama’s critics are highly concerned over his unprecedented appointment of vast numbers of powerful White House Czars and his willingness to bypass Congressional authority by using Executive orders. The constant threat to use “an Executive Order A Day” has enraged believers in the American Republic who support a limited Federal government that follows the Constitution. The Administration has shown little respect for the rule of law and even managed to get cited for contempt of court by ignoring Federal Court orders to stop banning oil drilling in Gulf. In the words of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman, “Each step the government took following the court’s imposition of a preliminary injunction showcases its defiance. Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the re-imposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium, and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this court with clear and convincing evidence of the government’s contempt.”

Despite the wealth of legitimate political issues for the Republican Presidential candidates, one has to be absolutely confounded by the behavior of Gingrich, Romney, Santorum, Paul, Perry, and the other Republican candidates. The Republicans have a full quiver of political arrows that they could use to tear apart Obama’s record during his first term in office but instead they have acted like a bunch of angry prepubescent Grade School kids engaging in a play ground shouting match. Rather than standing up for America and presenting the Republican vision for the future, the participants in the Republican primary debates have been  attacking each other on their religious beliefs or making uninformed blunders in answer to the simplest questions.

Another factor that is quite disconcerting to Conservatives and supporters of the Republican Party, is the way the candidates and the party have allowed the media to control the debates in an obviously biased manner. Week after week and debate after debate, strongly Liberal leaning moderators have slanted the questions to favor Obama and put the Republican candidates on the spot. It got so out of hand, that Newt Gingrich finally blew up in the most recent debate and lambasted George Stephanopoulos for focusing question after question on gay marriage and homosexual rights, when our nation is about to collapse into financial ruin. Gingrich’s point was made quite powerfully and should have stood for his party’s position on the issues. Sadly, Santorum and Perry were so afraid that they would be shown up that they had to add their own spin on the issue and turned a win for all Republicans into another acrimonious political sound bite.

If the Republicans don’t get their act together and start talking about the issues that really matter to the voters, Obama will be able to sleepwalk into a second term in office. There is a enormous list of serious, valid issues about which the candidates can confront Obama and the entire progressive movement. Issues that are important to every American and will have a major impact on our lives and our futures as well as the lives of our friends and allies.

The Republican party has to get its act together and put the good of the nation ahead of the bickering and sophomoric behavior. Otherwise, they deserve to lose and we will all suffer the results of four more years of Obama. They can rest assured that when Obama gets his chance to go after the Republican’s choice for 2012, he will use every single attack and sordid detail he can dig up. The Republicans need to rise above what promises to be the ugliest Democratic campaign in history and show the American people that putting the country back on the fast track to prosperity is the focus of the Republican Party. The American people deserve jobs and a balanced budget instead of a dismal future and politics as usual. It is time for the Republican Party to put the American people first.

The Republicans Bicker While Obama Bides His Time is a post from: The Inquisitr